Interim Head of School
SOLA | School of Leadership, Afghanistan
Start Date: Immediate
Grades 6-12, Girls Boarding School
100 students
Rwanda
About the School
In March 2016, twenty-four Afghan girls walked onto SOLA’s campus in Kabul for the first time. These sixth graders had chosen a path that under Taliban rule fifteen years earlier would have been unthinkable: attending Afghanistan’s first and only all-girls boarding school. Those girls came from fourteen provinces, traveling through territory that was rarely safe. They came anyway. SOLA grew—enrolling a new class annually until nearly one hundred girls from twenty-eight provinces called the campus home. Their families, especially their fathers, some of whom received death threats for educating their daughters, showed extraordinary courage.
Then came August 15, 2021. The Taliban swept back into power, and founder Shabana Basij-Rasikh closed SOLA’s gates for the last time. Ten days later, nearly 250 members of the SOLA community—including the entire student body of more than one hundred girls—arrived in Rwanda. Four days after that, classes resumed. Rwanda, a nation that knows both suffering and resilience, welcomed them. Rwanda is where SOLA is setting down roots, with plans to one day return to Afghanistan while maintaining its Rwandan campus.
The day will come when the school returns to Afghanistan. But now is the moment to grow SOLA the school and expand SOLA the mission.
Vision
SOLA educates the girls who’ll change the world. That’s not hyperbole—it’s the school’s promise, purpose, and the work its community has committed to since day one. The vision is transformative: a generation of compassionate, confident Afghan women with the leadership skills to rebuild Afghanistan and guide their homeland toward a peaceful, prosperous future.
As Shabana says, the secret to a peaceful Afghanistan is no secret at all. It is educated girls. SOLA is a boarding school where Afghan girls in grades pre-6 through 10 (currently) focus on their education in ways impossible anywhere else on Earth. Here, they’re challenged by rigorous coursework and encouraged to take on leadership roles. Here, they build bonds of sisterhood that transcend every geographic and cultural barrier Afghanistan has ever known. In the Pashto language, “sola” means peace—and this is what the school’s students will bring home.
About the Position
The Board of SOLA seeks a collaborative, culturally competent, and inspiring interim Head of School to lead this special school for the rest of the 2025-2026 school year. This unique opportunity will be a great match for an experienced, dedicated leader with a deep understanding of the boarding school experience, the capacity to build and nurture relationships within a diverse school community, and the ability to manage change with care and compassion. Working in close partnership with the school’s founder and leadership team, the Interim Head of School will be kind, approachable, and responsive as well as a passionate advocate for the SOLA and its mission. The next Head will harness the passion evident throughout this remarkable community and build on its resilient mission-driven foundation to strengthen and grow the school. For more on the school and the position, please see the full Information for Candidates.
How to Apply
Candidates interested in this opportunity are asked to submit the following materials in a single merged pdf file to Tracy Bennett or Nat Conard as soon as possible. Dossiers will be reviewed upon receipt.
- EC Summary Sheet (Contact Tracy or Nat for this document)
- Letter of Interest addressed to the Search Committee
- Current resume
- Statement of Educational Leadership Philosophy
- A list of five or more professional references, with contact information (name, relationship to candidate, phone, and email)
- EC Disclosure Statement (Contact Tracy or Nat for this document)
Tracy Bennett, Partner, Educators Collaborative
Nat Conard, Partner, Educators Collaborative
Listing Date: October 22, 2025
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